[denny]

How log do you store the crushed grain? After milling it tends to degrade. Use it within 4 weeks.

I don't believe aging hurts efficiency much if at all.  However, it will add a stale oxidized flavor.

In an experiment at Experimental Brewing, we found 2 months made no difference.  My personal experience is that 5 months is fine.  Briess quotes 2 years for their pre crushed malt.

[macbrews]

If the problem is with wort production you can use the chart from Braukaiser - http://braukaiser.com/wiki/images/3/3c/First_wort_gravity.gif to see what your mash efficiency is. It should approach 90% if all your ducks are in a row. If is less then it’s either your grind or your mash process. If it’s good, then its your system and how you handle the runnings afterwards.  Mash efficiency matters, overall efficiency is less important...... just add more grain.


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[dubsac2]

I know I'm a little later to reply to this, but my efficiency woes were due to pH. Once I aligned the pH of the wort to approximately 5.5 my numbers came way up. I also double vorloff the first runnings and sparge water.

[dubsac2]

I know I'm a little later to reply to this, but my efficiency woes were due to pH. Once I aligned the pH of the wort to approximately 5.5 my numbers came way up. I also double vorloff the first runnings and sparge water.

[Frank Dink]

I used to "crush" 100% of my malt in a blender when I didn't have my own mill.  It worked great, got normal efficiency in the mid 70s.  Just do about 3/4 cup at a time or else only the bottom 2 inches will turn to flour but the rest will sit still.  You need to strike a balance with this method between most of it flying all over the place and most of it sitting still.  You want to figure out what amount is kind of halfway in between, then do that repeatedly.  Only pulse for 5-10 seconds, that should be all you need.

Which blender did you use? Nutribullet or Ninja blender?
Thanks!

[dmtaylor]

I used to "crush" 100% of my malt in a blender when I didn't have my own mill.  It worked great, got normal efficiency in the mid 70s.  Just do about 3/4 cup at a time or else only the bottom 2 inches will turn to flour but the rest will sit still.  You need to strike a balance with this method between most of it flying all over the place and most of it sitting still.  You want to figure out what amount is kind of halfway in between, then do that repeatedly.  Only pulse for 5-10 seconds, that should be all you need.

Which blender did you use? Nutribullet or Ninja blender?
Thanks!

The Ninja style did not work well at all.  I used an old Oster blender, one cup at a time, about a 10-second pulse per cup.  If you use too much, only the bottom portion will be "milled".  If you don't use enough, the grain will just fly all around in the blender and not get milled either.  You need to try to find the balance between the two where it doesn't fly and all gets milled.  For me it was between 7/8 and 1 cup.